Device for use in lasting



March 1929 F. w. MERRICK DEVICE FOR USE IN LASTING' Filed March 51, 1926 Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

FRANK W. MERRICK, F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

DEVICE FOR USE IN LASTING.

Application filed March 31, 1926. Serial No. Weft/a5.

The invention consists in a novel device for use in the process of lasting, designed :tor holding an upper to a last, with the last, the applied shoe-parts, and the applied devic collectively portable and manually presentable to a machinetor applying fastenings. The said device comprises, essentially, portable pa -carrying; means, adapted for on gagement with a last, and equipped with :u pad ada ited to hold by pressure the central portion of the tore-part oi the upper against the central portion of the tore-part of the last, leaving the upper unobstructed and accessible to the operator along the sides and adjoining the toe oi? the last and free to be manipulated by him into place, as well permitting un obstructed application of tasteniugs around the sides and tee-end oi the last.

An important intended use of a device embodying the invention is in lasting upper and sole of a shoe with outturned upper-hinge, ofierwise known as a stitch-down shoe, and in melting application at once oi? permanent :l'asteniugs, preferably stitches in the term oi. a stitched seam, connecting the outturned upperrange with the outstanding sole-margin.

The device enabies an upper to be localized. in proper position upon a last, and permits the upper to be pulled into position beneath thei iad in the operation oi? localizing the upper. In virtue of being so contrived as to leave the marginal portions oi? the uppertree and unobstructed, as well accessible, it

permits the operator to stretch and adjust the shirt of the iu'iper along the sides oi? the last and around the toe end oi? the last, before as well as during the application of jtasteiilugs securing; the margin of the upper, therei by disposing of any i ulness in the said skirt, without change in the location of the upper with relation to the last.

'lherinvention ischaracterized by various features to which reference is made in the following description and in the clain'is at the close of this specification.

luthe drawings,

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation a device embodying the invention, in working relation with a last l'iaving applied thereto an upper and a sole, certain small portions of the last, upper, and sole being broken away. i

Fig. 2 is a plan View thereotlfl with a small portion oi? the upper broken away.

,l'laving reference to the drawings,-

he last 1, a shoe-upper 2, and a sole 3, are

shown in assembled relation, in readiness for the margin of the upper to be drawn into place and made fast to the sole.

In the case of the illustrated en'ibodin'ient oj bllGlllVOl'ltiOIl, a pad is shown at L, a carrying lever therefor is shown at 5, a support :lfor the said carrying lever is shown at (3, and at 7 is shown means to actuating Sflflt lever and looking it with the pad holding;- the central portion of the upper pressed against the central portion of the lore-part oi the last. Means formouuting the device upon the last is shown at 8. l

In this instance, the mount-iris means 8 is a pin or post which, in making application of my device to a last, inserted into the usual socket 9, Fig. 1, provided in. the heel-part oi the last. The said pin or post is adapted to slide lengthwise within the said socket, and to turn therein. It has a hole made trans versely through its outstanding portion, and within this hole is received the stem or shank oil? the support (5.

The support (3 is constituted by a bar, the carrying lever 5 oi. the clamping foot or pad be ng mounted pivotally at 51 upon the front end oi. suchbar. The supporting bar 6 held in fixed relation with respect to pin or post 8, with capacity for adjustment in the direction of its length and that oi the last, by means of a clamping screw 10 occupying a screw-threaded hole in the post 8 and adapted to engage by its inner end with the stem or shank oi bar 6. A longitudinal flattened surface 61, or it mightbe a groove, engaged by said end of the screw, provides *ig- 'ainst turuiug movement of the bar withii'i the hole, and thereby prevents the pad or toot it from lateral displacement such as would beiucideut to such turning n'iovement relative to the pin or post 8. j

The means, 7, :l'or actuating the clamping lever 5 to cause the clampingifoot or pad 4 to be pressed upon the upper E2 and lore-part of the last 1, is a cuni-h-iver which is connected pivotally at 71 with clamping lever 5. The cam-portion, 72, oil? lever 7 acts against the back of bar 6, and is so formed and related tl at when the handle of lever 7 is swung: toward bar 6 the camportion 72 is carried in between the pivot 71. and the bar,

thereby actuating the lever 5 to bear the clamping foot or pad 4; toward the top of the :li'orc-pai't of the lost. In this position of the Cain-lever the reactive stress acts radially, or substantially so, from the pivotal axis at 71 through cam 72 against the back of bar 6,

ill]

50 velope'd to lift the forward end of arm 6 and hence the cam-portion otthe cam-lever acts to lock the clamp in closed condition. The cam-lever constitutes a toggle by means of Which the'pad-carry'ing lever-may beactu- .ated to cause the pad to hold by pressure the central portion of the fore-part of the wiper against the central portion of the fore-part of the 1, st, said toggle being self-locking to keep the pad in contact with the upper ,4. A leaf-spring 11, made tastto the back of carrying lever 5 by the headof the same bolt,

12,'that fastens the clamping toot or-pad to the underside ots'uch lever, acts with a tendency to move thelever 5in the direction oppositethat'in which such lever. is moved by means of cam-lever. IlVhen the cam-lever is turned around pivot '71 so as to relieve the pressure "of canr72 against the bar 5, the said spring acts, to raise clamping foot or pad 4 from the upper and last. V

The clamping footer pad 4 is composed of: a strip, 41, Fig. 1, of elastic metal, bent to the upper 2when the clamping foot or pad j is pressed home against the upper and last.

In practice, the upper 52 being in place around the last, "the illustrated device is applied in working relation with a last, the upper having been ad uste'd into proper position relative to the last, and then-the camlever 7 is manually operated to actuate the clamping foot or pad4- to clamp the tore-part of the upper against the top of the fore-part ot 'thelast. The device permits the upper tobe shifted oradjusted relative to the last andfsole, and to be smoothed, as'may be found necessary, and Wlll. hold the upper 1n place so effectually as to enable the usual la'stingtacks :or other fastenings to be dis- Vpcnsed wlth.

" As the actioaofthe cam 72 takes elfect in pressing clamping foot or pad 4 against the upper and' last, the tendency thereby de- "createsatendency to tilt post 8 withinsocket 9 of the'la'st.

This latter tendency causes 1 '"thepostto cramp or bind within the socket so as to'oppose movement of the post outward of the socket. Such clamping or binding will take effect, whatever the extent of elevation of the post within the socket, and permitsthe post to be set higher up above thebottom of the socket it required by way {of adjustment in case of different sizes of lasts, or for other reasons.

5 The post 8 isso proportion'edinlength, so formed, and so related to other parts, that it is capable of beingpushed into the socket 9 of the last to an extent slightly in excess of that required to provide for maximum pressure of the pad 4 against the tore-part ofthelast.

In practice, the upper having been placed around the last, and the post 8 of the clamping device having been inserted into the socket 9 of the last, the post is pushed by the operator inward within the socket until the pad takes suflicent bearing against the central portion of the tore-part of the upper to press such portion lightly against the central portion of the tore-part of the last. This may be done with the cam-lever 7 occupying the rclation withrespect to arm 6 in which it is shown in Fig. 1, which will be the case when it is intended not to utilize the cam-lever later in producing a secondary or final degree of pressure of the pad. Or, in case it is intended to utilize the cam-lever thus, the pad may be brought to'bear suitably tor the preliminary pressnre after cam-lever 7 has been thrown so as to unlock the pad-carrying lever relative to the supporting arm 6. As the pad takes such bearing, the resistance thereby caused to take cfiect at the for aid extremity of supporting arm 6 operates to tilt the post 8 lengthwise within the socket 9, so that the post cramps or binds within the socket in a manner to hold the post frictionally against movement in the direction of its length, and thereby maintain'the pad in contact with the upper so as to hold it lightly against the last. As will be seen in the drawings, the pad, in addition to being located centrally with relation to the fore-parts of the upper and last, is shaped and proportioned so that the upper is lettunobstructed and accessible around the pad, along both sides of the last and the toe-end of the last, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Thereby, it is made possible and convenient for the operator, at this stage in the procedure, to take hold of the marginal portions of the upper, at the sides and at the toe, and by pulling in the required directions localize the upper with the required accuracy with respect to the last. If the pressure of the pad has been properly graduated as it should be, the upper may be caused to slip under the pad in one direction or the other,

in being adjusted by the operator, until it has been localized to the operators satisfaction. Thcreupon, in case the preliminary pressure has been brought about without operating the lever 7 to unlock the pad-carryin'g lever 5 and pad, the clamping device is pushed bodily by the operator closer toward the last so as to cause the pad to bear with ample holding pressure upon the upper. As this occurs the post is entered further within the socket, where it remains, held by the frictional gripping, and maintaining the final pressure of the pad upon the upper. Or in case of previous unlocking of the pad-carrying lever 5, the final pressure of the pad is aplllll plie'd through movement imparted by the operator to lever 7 carrying it from unlockmg position to its position in Fig. 1, thereby forcing the pad more firmly toward the last. The assembled last, applied shoe parts, and clamp are taken now to the machine for ap plying tastenings in connection with the upper-margin. These may be fastenings designed to serve primarily the purpose of holding the shoe-parts in lasted relation to each other and the last, but preferably they will consist oi"? the stitches oi a permanent seam securing the upper to the sole 3. Such'a seam follows the contour of the last. As will be apparent from the drawings, in consequence of the upper being left exposed, accessible, and unobstructed, at both sides of the last and at the toe-end thereof, it may be manipu" lated freely and conveniently by the operator in smoothing it into place upon and around the last, and the application of fastenings is facilitated. A special advantage in this connection is that the device permits ready ma nipulation of theupper so as to work into place ror being properly fastened in the fulness which forms progressively in stitching along the sides and around the toe of a last.

Disengagen'ient of the clamping device tron) the last and lasted shoe may be eiilected readily either by throwing cam-lever 7 into its unlocking position, after which post 8 may be withdrawn from socket 9, or with equal lacilityhy swinging arm (3 transversely around. the axis o'l post 8 so as to disengage the pad from the upper by lateral movement of the pad, after which said post may be drawn out of socket 9 as in the other case. In the case of the illustrated construction, this lateral movement of the pad is permitted by rotation. of the post within the socket 9,

so that the pad turns around an axis within the said socket.

As will be apparent, in thebroader phases of the invention. the construction oil a device embodying the prii'iciples herein disclosed may vary.

What is claimed as the invention is 1. A device for the purpose described, comprising a mounting pin adapted to slide and also to rotate within the socket oi the rear part of a last, said pin having a hole which extendstransversely through its outer portion, an arm occupying said hole and adjustable thcrethrough in the direction of the length of the arm to suit the length of shoe operated upon, means combined with the pin and arm to secure the arm inadjusted position, a pressure pad located at the forward end of the arm, and a linger-piece by means of which the said pad may be actuated 1nanually relative to the arm to hold by: pressure the central portion of the tore-part of the upper against the tore-part oi? the last.

52. A deviccior the purposes described coinraising an arm having a mounting pin adapted to slide and also to rotate within the socket of the rear part of a last, and to engage friotionally within said socket so as to hold the arm with its pad in contact with the upper, a pad-carrier mounted movably upon said arm, a pad, and an actuating toggle tor said pad-carrier to cause the pad to hold by pressru'e the central portion of the forepart of the upper against the central portion of the tore-part of the last, said toggle selllocking to keep the pad inicontact with the upper.

3. A device 'for the purposes described comprising an arm. having means for con necting it detachably with a last, said arm portable with the last, rendering the latter manually presentable to a machine for applying lastenings, a pad-carrier mounted movably upon said arm, a pad, and an actuating toggle for-said pad-carrier to cause the pad to hold by pressure the central portion of the tore-part of the upper against the central portion of the lore-part of the last, said toggle selilfllocking to keep the pad in con tact with the upper.

FRANK w. Mansion 

